Cultural historian and co-author of the seminal, “An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles,” Robert Winter has died at the age of 94. His passing has left many in this vast, complicated city saddened.

On June 12th, two hikers in the San Jacinto Mountains were too fatigued to continue walking down the mountain and had to be airlifted to safety. A week later, a hiker participating in the Cactus to Clouds trail in Palm Springs called for assistance and was also airlifted out. Which means that this is probably a good time to remind everyone:

Be prepared when you're hiking.

It's summertime, folks. It's hot. Especially if, say, you're hiking in a place like Palm Springs. Make sure to bring a whole lot of water with you, no matter the level of difficulty of the hike. (My own personal favorite method of carrying water is via one of those Camelbak bladders that fits snugly in your backpack.) We're talking liters per person.

Other tips such as making sure you've detailed your route before leaving, wearing sun protection, and telling someone where you're headed are all hugely important. But, bringing enough water for you and your hiking party is rule number one, bolded, italicized, and underlined. This summer, let's try to save the airlifts for more serious occasions than just "didn't bring enough water."

"Desert Magazine" published from 1937 to 1985, offered readers an appealing world of mirages, ghost towns and lost treasure. Its maps sizzled with life and adventure. They were created lovingly — and it turns out painstakingly — by an elusive mapmaker.